July Talk

JULY TALK play Friday (October 19) at the Horseshoe. See listing. Rating: NNN

July Talk have been making a name for themselves in the last year or so with their theatrical show, a spectacle of manic energy and forced crowd participation. Heavy-duty local producers Jon Drew and Alexandre Bonenfant help transfer that charisma onto record. The album feels a bit scattershot stylistically, alternating between upbeat rock, rollicking folk and a few unlikely dance flourishes, and often sounds too smoothed out and polished.

But the most arresting, unique element of July Talk's sound is firmly in place: the unlikely vocal chemistry between Peter Dreimanis and Leah Fay. Dreimanis's gravelly, whisky-soaked Tom Waits croon interacts with Fay's sweet, bubblegum delivery in a way that steals the focus from the instrumental arrangements and gives a boost to any style they decide to dabble in.